Case-shift mechanism



' I o. A. HOKANSON CASE SHIFT- MECHANISM Filed May 10,, 1924 La I;

ww Q E. U wv v ..EE QM \v 49 g Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,686,325 TNT. OFFICE.

OTTO A. HOKANSON, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WOODSTOCKTYPEWIRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CASE-SHIFT MECHANISM.

Application filed May 10, 1924. Serial 150 712182.

This invention relates to power-actuated mechanism for effecting a caseshift to change from one case to another and has for its object theprovision of mechanism which shall retain the typewriter parts in thecase position to which they are shifted so long as the shift key ishelddepressed, the shift being effected either by power-drivenmechanism orby hand.

Another object is to provide mechanism of the class named which shall beof improve construction and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and. arrangement ofparts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing a p01- tion of atypewriter having one embodiment of the present invention appliedthereto; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view looking from the right in Fig. v1, butdrawn'on a larger scale.

The machine is type keys 9.

The numeral 10 designates the platen carriage mounted on runways 11 andhaving a; sub-carriage 12 pivotally mounted thereon;

provided with I the: usual the platen 13 being supported by thesubcarriage. An arm 14 pro]ects downwardly from the sub-carriage 12 andsupports a roller 15 journaled at the lower end thereof. The roller 15travels on a shiftrai-l 16 carried by a shift frame 17 pivotally mountedat 18. The shift frame 17 has a bell-crank 19-adjustably secured theretoby screws 20. A spring 21 is fastened to the shift frame 17 forpartially counterbalancing the Weight of the sub-carriage 12 and platenl3.

' A link 22 is pivoted at 23 to the lever arm 19, the opposite end ofthe link being pivoted at 24 to a plate 25 pivotally mounted at 26 on across-bar 27. The link 22 is made in two sections having a spring 28interposed ther'ebetween for yieldingly resisting longitudinal expansionof the link. The plate 25 is slotted at 29 to receive a pin 38 carriedby an actuating-lever 31. The lever 31 is pivot ally mounted at 32 on across-bar 33 and pressed upwardly by a spring 34: A cam face 35 isformed on the lever 31 in the path of rollers 36 carried by a mutilatedgear 37. The gear 37 is journaled on a shaft 38 which plunger 48 willmove downwardly releasing is supported in the sides of the machineframe.

A power driven gear 39 is journaled in the machine frame in position tomesh with the mutilated gear 37. A lever 40 is pivoted at 41 and'ispressed upwardly by a spring 42. The upper face of the lever 40engagesone of the rollers 36 tending to rotate the gear 37 in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. Rotation of the gear 37is normally prevented by a stop 43 on an escapement dog 44 pivotallymounted on the shaft 41 concentric with the pivot of the lever 40. Theescapement dog 44 is providedwith an extension 46 to-which the spring 42is attached. A plunger 48 is pivoted at 49 to the extension 46 and liesin the path of a projection 50 on the shift lever 51,- the shift leverbeing provided with a key 52 properly located in w the keyboard of themachine.

The lever 51 is pivoted at 53 on a cross-bar 54 and is held in itsuppermost position by a spring 55. An upwardly projecting arm 56 iscarried by the lever 51 and supports an extension 57 .pivoted thereon at58. The exten-. sion 57 carries a tailpiece 59 at its lower end which isconnected by aspring 60 with a lug 61 on the extension 56. A stop screw62 is threaded in the tailpiece 59 and strikes upon a lug 63 formed onthe arm 56. The upper end of theextension 57 is beveled at 64 and ispositioned adjacent a bracket 65 carried by the shift frame 17. i

.When the shift key 52 is depressed the the stop 43 from the path of theroller 36. The lever 40 will then rotate the mutilated gear 37 to bringthe teeth thereof into mesh with the-teeth on the roller 49. The roller-39 is continuously driven in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1,so that as soon as the teeth on the mutilated gear mesh with the teethon the roller the gear will be driven by the roller until all of themeshing set of teeth have passed the driving gear. sion of the key 52will move the lower end of the escapement dog 44 into the path of theuppermost roller 36 so that rotation of the multilated gear will bearrested after the blank portion thereof has come into registra- 105ator will shift the plate 25 about its pivot 26 11 0 Depresand exerttension on the link 22, which tension will in turn shift the bell crank19. and raise the shift rail 16, changing the platen from one caseposition to another.

Initial depression of the key 52 will cause the arm 56 to move forwardlyand bring the extension 57 against the bracket 65. This will rotate theextension 57 about its pivot 58 stretching the spring 60. As soon as theshift frame 17 is moved by the link 22 the beveled end 6 1 of theextension 56 will be moved beneath the lower edge of the bracket 65 bythe spring 60. This will retain the shift frame in its uppermostposition as long I as the shift key is held'in its depressed position.As soon as the shift key is released,

however, the arm 62 will move rearwardly and withdraw the extension 57from beneath the bracket 65 to permit the platen to return to its lowerposition. It will be seen that the shift keymay be held depressed aslong as desired while other keys are operated for typewriting in theupper case, the operation being exactly the same as that of a handactuated machine, except that the power for raising the shift frame isfurnished by the power driven gear 39 and not by the force exerted onthe shift lever. It is only necessary for the operator to exertsuflicientforce on the shift lever to release the power driven mechanismand this mechanism furnishes the power for shifting the platen.

In order to avoid strain on the parts the connection between the powerdriven roller and the shift frame is provided with the resilient link 22which prevents any violent movement and permits yielding in case theplaten. should in any way be held against shifting. In order to adjustthe position of the beveled face 64 relative to its cooperating bracket65 the extension 57 is mounted on an eccentric bearing sleeve 66 whichis carried on the pivot bolt 58. When it is desired-toadjust thevertical position of the extension 57 the bolt 58 is released andthehexagon head 67 secured to the sleeve 66 is'rotated to move theextension 57 vertically and the bolt again tightened to lock the sleevein its adjusted position. The eccentric sleeve when the bolt istightened is clamped between the bolt held and a spacing collar 68. Itwill thus be seen that I have provided a poweractuated case shift whichmay be moved of the machine frame and are provided withlevers 79 bywhich they may be rocked about their pivots. It will be apparent thatwhen the levers 79 are moved rearwardly the cam depressed while theplunger 48 is in this position a pin 80 will strike the upperbifurcation 81 which f0 ms the slot 29 and thus rotate the lever 25 dwnwardly to operate the link 22 and the case shift mechanism.

It will be seen that the mechanism may be,

operative by depression of said key lever for retaining said member inits shifted position while said key lever is depressed and for releasingsaid member to return to normal position on release of said key lever.

2, In a typewriting machine, 7 a member movable to change from one caseto another, power actuated means for shifting said member, a key leverforcontrolling said power actuated means, and means mechanicallyconnected with said key .lever and rendered operative thereby forretaining said member inits shifted position solong as said key .leveris depressed but permitting return of said member to normal positionupon release of said keylever irrespective of the operation of otherparts of said typewriter.

3. In a typewriting machine, a member movable to change from one case toanother, power actuated means for moving said member, a key leverfor'controlling said power actuated means. type keys, and meanscontrolled by saidfirst-mentioned key lever and mechanically connectedtherewith for retaining said memberin its shifted position and forpermitting return thereof irrespective of the operation of said typekeys.

4. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism, a power drive, meansfor connecting said power drive with said case shift with very littleeffort on the part of the op- 6 erator and which requires no newmanipulation other than that to which the operator is accustomed to usein connection with the ordinary hand key-board.

The plunger 48 is guided by an angle bar 70 having an ear 71 at eachside of the machine pivotally mounted at 72 on a plate 73. The plate 73is pivoted at 7 4 to the sides of the machine frame and carries pins 75which cooperate with cam groves 76" in plates 77. The plates 77 arepivoted at'78 tothe sides rom said power drive while said shift key isretained in depressed position, and means for retaining said case shiftmechanism in its shifted position while said shift key is retained indepressed position, said retaining means being mechanically andyieldingly connected to said shift key and moved thereby into operativerelationwith said shift mechanism when said .shift key is depressed butoperated to release said shift mechanism when said shift key isreleased.

5. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism, a power drivenmember, a rotary member having a fixed axis of rotation and drivingmeans for connection with said power driven member for a portion of arevolution of said rotary member, an eccentrically disposed driver onsaid rotary memher, means actuated by said driver for operating saidcase shift mechanism, a key for controlling the connection between saidpower driven member and said rotary member, and means for preventingrepeated operation of said rotary member when said key is depresed. I

6. ,In -a typewriting machine, a power driven gear, a mutilated gearhaving a fixed axis of rotation arranged to mesh with said power drivengear through a portion of rotation of said mutilated gear, a key forcontrolling the connection between said power drivengear and saidmutilated gear, and means actuated by said mutilated gear for operatingsaid case shift mechanism.

7 In a typewriting machine. a power drive, a rotary member movable intooperative, engagement with said power drive,-

means normally holding said rotary member out of operative engagementwith said power drive, a shift lever for releasing said holding means topermit engagement between said power drive and rotary member, aneccentrlcally disposed driver on said' rotary member, an actuatingmember operated by '7 said driver when said rotary member is driven'bysaid power drive, and case shift" mechanlsm operated by said actuatingmember.

drive, a rotary member having means thereon for operatively engagingsaid power drive during a portion of rotation of said member, aspring-pressed device for moving said rotary member into position to enage said power drive, a stop for holdin said rotary member out ofengagement wit said power drive, a shift key for releasing said stopfrom said vrotarymember, an actuator arranged to be engaged by saidrotary member when driven by said power drive, means for arresting saidrotary member to prevent repeated engagement thereby with said actuator,and case shift mechanism connected with said actuator.

9. In a typewriter, a power drive, a rotary member having means thereonfor engaging said power drive for a portion of a.

revolution of said rotary member, a shift key for controlling 'theconnection between said rotary member and power drive, means forarresting said rotary member to prevent re- .peated operationthereofafter a depression of said shift key, case shift mechanism, op-

6 erated by said rotary member, and means for 8. In a typewritingmachine, a power I retaining said case-shift mechanism in its shiftedposition while said case shift key is held depressed.

10. In a typewriter, the combination with a shift frame for changingfrom one case to another power actuated means for moving said shiftframe, a key lever for controlling said power actuated means, and a stopcarried by said key lever for locking'said shift frame in its shiftedposition.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shift frame forchanging from one case to another, power actuated means for moving saidshift frame, a shift lever for controlling said power actuated means,and a stop carried by said shift lever and movable thereby intoposition. to engage said shift frame and retain said shift frame in itsshifted position, said stop being released by said shift lever when saidshift lever is permitted to return to its normal position.

12. In a typewriter, the combination with a shift frame, of poweractuated means for moving said shift frame, a key lever, a stop movablymounted on said key lever, and yielding'means for holding said stop inone position relative to said key lever, said stop being movable upondepression of said key lever into position to hold said shift= frame inits shifted osition.

, 13. In a typewritmg machine, the combination with a shift frame forchanging from one case to another, a power drive for moving said shiftframe of a key lever for controlling the movement of said shift frame,and a stop actuated by said key lever for locking said shift frame inits shifted position and out of driving relation with said power drive.I I

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shift frame forchanging from one-case-to another, ofpower driven means for moving saidshif t frame, a key lever for controlling the movement of said shiftframe, and a stop actuated by said key lever for locking saidshift'frame in its shifted position out of driving relation with saidpower driven means when said key lever is depressed but releasing saidshift frame when said key lever is released.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shift frame forchanging from one case to another, of means for moving said shift frame,a keylever for controlling said moving means, a spring stop carried bysaid key lever, and a cooperating stop member mounted on said shiftframe for engaging said spring stop. s

16. In a typewriting machine, a member movable for changing from onecase to another, power actuated means for moving said member, a caseshift lever for moving said case shift member and having connection withsaid power actuated means for controlling said power actuated means,andmeans for disconnecting said power actuated means from said caseshift lever to permit opera tion of said case shift mechanism by saidshift lever.

means controlledby said shift lever for con- 10 necting said case shiftmechanism with said power drive, and means for moving said connectmgmeans out of operative relation with said-case shift lever to permithand operation of said case shift mechanism by saidshift lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this7th day of May, A. n. 1924.

' LOTTO A. HonANsoN.

